Knitting machine



v. LOMBARDI 1,728,295

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Sept. 17, 1929.

KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed June 15, 1925 Sept. 17, 1929. v. LOMBARDI KNITTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed June 15, 1925 Sm h a N NnTllwlllnwllLwh.

N N: WM W 1 W W aw U Patented Sept. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTING MACHINE Original application filed June 15, 1925, Serial No. 87,076. Divided and this application filed September 2c, 1928. Serial No. 308,452.

This invention relates to knitting machines and includes certain improvements and discoveries corollary thereto.

An object of this invention is directed to 6 the provision of a knitting machine which is simple in construction, economical of manufacture and assembly, readily adjustable, capable of a wide variety of uses, and adapted for ready and eiiicient operation.

A more specific object is in the provision of an arrangement for controlling the relative tightness of the looped and unlooped yarns of the fabric produced by the machine, more particularly where the unlooped portions are interlocked with the looped yarn as described in my U. S. Patent No. 1,426,576

f Aug. 22, 1922.

The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and the relation andorder of one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others, the apparatus embodying the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts adapted to eifect such steps, all of which will be exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

This constitutes a division of my application Serial No. 37 ,076, filed on June 15, 1925.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a portion of a fabric embodying the invention:

Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof;

Fig. 3 illustrates somewhat diagrammath cally a series of groups of needles as actu- 40 ated by successive needle actuating mechanisms for the production of such a fabric;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the sinker guide illustrating somewhat diagrammatically the position of the sinkers cooperating with the needles shown in Fig. 3, the sinks? guide being straightened for the sake of convenience of illustration;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectionof the needle cylinder and the cam cylinder providing a top view of the needle actuating mechanism shown in Fig. 3, the curves of these cylinders being straightened for the sake of convenience;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of both cylinders illustrating the relative positions of a pattern wheel, a needle and a sinker when the needle is in a partially raised position;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the positions of the needle and the sinker when the needle is fully raised;

Fig. 6" is a similar view showing the needle in fully lowered position and the sinker in an advanced position, and Fig. 6 shows the needle in a lowered position and the sinker in a retracted position;

Fig. 7 is a side view of a needle such as may be interspersed with needles of the type shown in Fig. 6; and

Fig, 8 is a diagrammatic view further illustrating the operation of the needles and sinkers upon the yarns.

The invention contemplates the production of a fabric of the general type illustrated in Fig.1 wherein two sets of yarn strands are so combined as to form in one portion of the fabric a series of rows of interknitted loops of one set of yarns, and in another portion of the fabric a series of rows of interknitted loops of another set.

In each portion of the fabric wherein one set of yarns are looped the yarns of the other set are unlooped and are carried sub stantially to the rear of the looped yarns so as not materially to affect the color, texture, or other characteristic of the front of the fabric as determined by the looped yarn. With a view to the provision of a strong and durable fabric, the unlooped portions of each yarn, instead of being floated across the rear of the interlmittcd loops of yarn of the other setin which position they would not add to the strength of the fabric to any great extent and would also be liable to catch on any obstructions to and be pulled out or broken-are interlocked between the loops of adjacent rows of the interknitted yarns in certain of the wales thereof. While the particular wales of each looped portion in which the interlocking occurs may be varied in accordance with the size of the loops, the tightness of the knit, and the use to which the fabric is to be put, as well as various other factors which will be apparent to one skilled in the art, it. is desirable that the interlocking take-place in only a portion of the wales of each section of interknitted loops, since the unlooped portions will be bound more firmly in the fabric. and

will be effectually prevented from being pulled therethrough if they follow a somewhat zigzag course, being interlocked between loops in one Wale and being carried entirely to the rear of the loops in an adjacent wale. It is preferable, in fact, to have each unlooped portion follow a course wherein it is interlocked between the loops of adjacent rows in alternate wales while being carried entirely to the rear of the One fabric of this general type is disclosed in my Patent No. 1,426,576, dated August 22, 1922.

In the particular arrangement shown in Fig. 1, a set of yarn strands 40, which are shown unshaded and will be referred to as white yarn, are formed into a series of rows of interknitted loops to provide wales, a, b o

and 0 in a section A of the fabric shown at the left of the figure, and unlooped portions of a set of strands of yarn which are shown shaded and will be referred to as red yarn are interlocked between the loops of adjacent rows in wales a, and 0 and while being carried entirely to the rear of the loops in wale b and the red yarn is formed into a series of interknitted loops providingw'ales d, e and f in a section B shown at the right of the figure and unlooped portions of the white yarn are interlocked between loops of adjacent rows in the wales d and f While being carried entirely to the rear of the loops in the Wale e. The loops may, of course, be more or less tightly knit and the unlooped portions be more or less tightly drawn through the looped sections in accordance with the particular type of fabric desired.

One means provided by the present invention for controlling the relative tightness of the looped and unlooped portions of aknitted fabric are disclosed in a machine having a pattern wheel for controlling the actuation of both long butt and short butt needles as illustrated in Figs. 3

' to 7 inclusive including in the present ina cam cylinder 43 adapted for rotation about the needle cylinder in the direction of the arrows in Figs. 3 and 5. Carried by the cylinder 42 is a row of needles 44 which are divided into two or more groups such as the groups G G and G,, the members of which are adapted to be advanced and retracted in a manner such as exemplified in my U. S. Patent No. 1,541,230, or in any other. suitable manner, to manipulate two or more yarns to produce fabric sections of the general type illustrated atthe right and at the left of Fig. 1. The needles, as exemplified, are of the latched. type and have formed thereon butted portions 45 comprising lower extensions or butt members 46 and upper extensions or butt members 47. The lower butt members 46 extend outwardly from the shanks a similar distance on all the needles while the upper members 47 on certain of the needles 48 (see Fig. 6), are extended outwardly at 47 to a greater extent than the butt members 47- on others of the needles 49 (see Fig. 7). While the butted portions of the needles are shown in Figs. 6 and 7 in the form of a single extension from the shank thereof, it will be apparent that the butt members 46 and 47 maybe in the form of independent extensions from the needle shanks.

As will be observed from Figs. 3 and'5,

the long butt and short butt needles 48 and short butt needles in the groups G, and Gr,

may be reversed, for example, so as to produce an arrangement similar to the arrangement in the groups Gr and G Similarly, if it is desired to produce a fabric wherein the unlooped portions are carried entirely to the rear of each of the adjacent wales of different yarns, the needle arrangement may be altered so that in groups G and G the positions of the long butt and short butt needles will be reversed to make the arrangement in these groups similar to the arrangement in groups G, and G Also, by positioning two or more needles of a single type adjacent oneanother within the group, other yarn arrangements may be secured. Thus it will be evident that by altering the arrangement of the needles in the various groups the unlooped yarn may be caused to follow any desired course throughout the looped portion.

The cam cylinder 43 in the present into manipulate the stance is arranged to support a yarn carrier 50 to feed a yarn 50 to the needles and a yarn carrier 51 to feed a yarn 51 thereto, and there is provided on this cylinder suitable mechanism for causing, the proper needles to receive each of these yarns and same in the desired manner. As exemplified, this mechanism includes means to actuate the needles for the manipulation of a yarn 50', comprising a cam 52 adapted to operate upon the lower edges of the butt members 46 of all the needles partiallyto raise the same, a pattern wheel 53 adapted fully to raise all the needles of certain of the groups While passing the needles of other groups, a thin cam 54 adapted to depress the long butt needles passed b the pattern wheel, a cam 55 adapted ully to depress all the needles after the passage of the yarn carrier 50 and a cam 56 to return the needles to their original position. The mechanism also includes means to actuate the needles for the manipulation of the yarn 51', comprising a cam 57 similar to cam 52, a pattern wheel 58 adapted fully to raise the wheel 53 and to pass the needles of the remaining groups, and the cams 59, 60 and 61, which are substantially similar respectively to the cams 54, 55 and 56. As will be observed from Fig. 5, the pattern wheels 53 and 58 each comprise in the present instance two sectors, one of which is formed with a series of grooves 62 of the usual type adapted to receive the butt members 46 and to raise the same, and the other of which is formed with a series of slots 63 adapted to receive the butt members 46 without actuating the same. In the present exemplification, the grooved sector of the pattern wheel 53is so positioned as to actuate the needles in certain groups such as the groups G, and G while the grooved sector of the pattern wheel 58 is positioned to actuate the needles of certain other groups, such as groups G, and G whereby the needles of the groups G, and G, will'be fully raised so as to enable them to knit loops of the yarn 50, while the needles of the groups G, and G3 will be fully raised so as to enable them to knit loops of the yarn 51'. It will also be observed that the cam 54 acts to lower the long butt needles 48 of groups such as G, and G the needles of which were passed by the wheel 53, so that only the needles 49 of these groups will receive the yarn 50 along with the looped yarn 51, and that the cam 59 acts to lower the long butt needles &8 of groups such as the groups G, and G the needles of which were passed by the wheel 58, so that only the short butt needles of this group will receive the yarn 51' along with the looped yarn 50'. In this manner the unlooped portions of each yarn may be placed needles passed by the in position for proper interlocking. In order positively to prevent the accidental upward displacement of the long butt needles by the slotted portions of the pattern wheel, whereby the extensions 47' thereon might be brought in line with the points of the cams 54 or 59, the pointed ends of these cams are extended as at 64 so as to occupy a position projecting over a substantial portion of the pattern wheel. The number of indentations in each sector of the pattern wheels and the number of needles in each group; may of course, be varied from those shown in Figs. 3 and 5. In fact, the number of indentations shown in the wheels 53 and 58 in Fig. 5 is limited to thirteen merely for the sake of convenience of illustration, and a referred form of these wheels is illustrated the pattern wheel shown in Fig. 6. It will, moreover, be appreciated that the invention is not limited to a two-feed machine, but that any larger number of yarn feeds may be employed, it being desirable, of course, if a two-color fabric is to be produced, that the number of feeds be divisible by two.

In accordance with this invention, there are provided intermediate the needles a plurality of sinkers 65 formed at their outer ends with projections 66 extending lnto a groove 67 formed in a sinker guide 68 carried in the cam cylinder, the side of the sinker guide being bent as at 69 and 70 to cause the sinkers to be moved inwardly to cast off loops and to press the unlooped yarn to the rear of the needles by which it is not caught. In certain cases it is desirable to provide separate means for controlling the tightness of the interknitted loops and the tightness of the unlooped, interlocked yarn, and accordingly the exemplified mechanism is arranged to effect such independent control. To this end the sinkers are formed in the present instance with upper yarn receiving surfaces 71 and 72 positioned at different levels, and the grooves 67 is formed wider than the eXtension 66 so that the sinkers may be moved longitudinally to place either the surface 71 or the surface 72 in line with the needles; whereby, when the needles are lowered. the yarn held therein will be drawn over either one or the other of these surfaces in the manner illustrated in Figs. 6 and 6 respectively, and in Fig. 8. As exemplified, the mechanism is arranged for the production of a fabric wherein the looped portions of the yarns will be relatively loosely interlrnitted and wherein the unlooped portions will be relatively tightly drawn through the interlrnitted loops; and to this end means are provided for positioning the sinkers with the lower yarn surface 72 in line with the needles during the retraction thereof, so as to place the yarn in interlocking position, and for positioning the in connection with sinkers with the upper yarn surface 71 in line with the needles during the retraction thereof to knit loops. This means comprises in the present instance of a cam surface 7 3 for moving all the sinkers outwardly to the position shown in Figs. 6 and 6, wherein yarn surface 72 is in operative position, and a pin 74; on one side of the sinkers and an inwardly extending projection 75 provided with .a sloping surface 76 on the needle shank so that when the needles are fully raised the projection will act upon the pin 7 4 to move the sinkers to the position shown in Figs. 6 and 6*, so as to place the yarn surface 71 in operative position. It will thus be apparent that, except when the needles have been fully raised, the yarn received thereby will be drawn over the yarn surfaces 7 2 on the sinkers upon the retraction of the needles; but that after the needles have been fully raised for knitting loops the yarn will be extended over the yarn surfaces 71 of the sinkers upon the retraction of the needles. Y

The term yarn as employed herein is of course intended to include threads, of any type regardless of the material of which same are composed or the cross-sectional contour of the same.

Since certain changes may be made in the construction set forth without departlng from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

The invention claimed is:

1. A knitting machine, including a row of longitudinally movable needles, a row of sinkers movable transversely ofsaid needles, and meansto actuate said sinkers in response to a movement of said needles.

2. A knitting machine, including a row of needles, a row of sinkers, means to ad-- vance and retract said needles, and cooper-.

ating means on certain of said needles and on certain of said sinkers to cause the movement of said latter sinkers upon a movement of their respective needles in one direction.

3. A knitting machine includin a row of needles, a row of sinkers movaile transversely of said needles, means to advance and retract said needles and cooperating means on certain of said needles and their res ective sinkers to cause the movement of eac of'said sinkers upon a movement. of its respective needle in one direction, said means comprising a pin at one of said members and a pro ection on the other of said members, said rojection providing a sloping bearing sur ace for said pin.

4. A knitting machine including a row of needles, each adapted to be moved to a fully advanced position to receive a yarn and to be retracted to form aseries of inter-knitted .loops and to be moved to a partially advance advanced position to receive a yarn and to be retracted to form a series of interknitted loops, and to be moved to a partially advanced position to receive a yarn without the knitting of loops, a row of sinkers adapted to cooperate with said needles in the formation of loops, each of a plurality of said sinkers having a lurality of yarn receiving surfaces in di erent planes, and means controlled by the movement of the needles for causing one of said surfaces to be effective when the needles are being retracted from a fully advanced position, while permitting a second of said surfaces to be effective when the needles are being 11etracted from a partially advanced position.

6. A knitting machine including a row of cylinder needles each adapted to be moved to a fully advanced position to receive a yarn and to be retracted to form a series of interknitted loops, and to be moved to a partially advancedposition to receive a yarn without the knitting of loops, a row of sinkers adapted'to cooperate with said needles in the formation of loops, each of said sinks ers having a lurality of yarn receiving surfaces at di erent levels, and means controlled by the movement of said needles for causing one of said surfaces to be effective when the needles are being retracted from a fully advanced position, while permitting another of said surfaces on a lower level to be effective when the needles are being retracted from a partially advanced position, whereby the loops are relatively loosely interlmitted and the unlooped ortions relatively tightly drawn throug the interknitted loops.

-7. A knitting machine needle, comprising a shank portion, a yarn-receiving member, and a cam portion positioned adjacent the yarn-receiving member and adapted to cooperate with a projection on a sinker to regulate the position of the latter in accordance with the needle position.

8. A knitting machine needle comprising a shank portion, a yarn-receiving member, means on the front thereof for receiving yarn, and means on the rear thereof for regulating the position of a sinker in accordance with the position of the needle.

9. A knitting machine needle, comprising a shank portion, a yarn-receivin member, and an element on the shank portlon having a cam surface adapted to cooperate with a lateral projection on a sinker for causing a sinker movement in response to a predetermined movement of the needle.

It witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, this 14th day of Se tember, 1928.

VINCENT L MBARDI. 

